Khimish was considered strong and brave among the Narts, but he avoided others and loved to travel alone everywhere. One day a lone horseman went hunting. The hunter had no luck for a long time, but suddenly Himish saw a deer from a distance. There was no need to shoot from a bow, because the deer itself rushed towards the hunter; when Himish pulled the bowstring, he noticed a little man riding astride a hare. The hare rider jumped between the legs of Khimishev’s horse and rushed towards the deer. Himish was surprised: why did the deer instantly fall dead? When the sled came closer, the little man quickly and deftly tore off the deer skin and cut up the carcass of the prey.
- Happy hunting! - Khimish greeted him.
- I wish you good luck too! Be a guest: unexpected treats are sweetest of all,” answered the little man, stood up respectfully and took Himish’s horse.
Having dismounted, Himish said:
“I saw you and the deer running towards each other, but I don’t know why the deer fell.”
“It was my arrow that hit him in the very heart.” “I will treat you to fresh meat,” said the hare rider and took Himish to visit him.
With difficulty Himish climbed into the small dwelling, which turned out to be light and spacious inside. This was the dwelling of the Jews. The Narts used to say about the Isp people: “Their heads are not enough, but their tails are too much.” Once this small tribe was strong and famous for its cunning. The isps caused a lot of anxiety and grief to the Narts, but recently they had weakened, ceased to be dangerous, and the Narts rarely remembered them.
From this tribe was the little man who invited Himish to his place. He knew about the strength and courage of his guest and considered it a great happiness to host the famous Nart. He had enough food and food, and the custom was this: if a guest entered the house, he must stay for at least three days and three nights.
Himish stayed the next day. The owner went on a hike and ordered his daughter to take care of the guest so that he would not get bored.
The little beauty obediently carried out her father’s order, and she also liked the beautiful and respectful sled. They weren't together for long, but they really liked each other.
“Listen, girl,” said Himish, “I fell in love with you, marry me...
The girl thought and answered:
- Although I am small in stature, the love in my heart is great. I will be your faithful wife, just remember: if you ever, even jokingly, reproach me for my short stature and call me “a runt,” then no longer consider me your wife.
Himish readily agreed, went home, and when he returned, he married the beauty with the permission of her delighted father.
Nart Khimish traveled alone everywhere, but he earned no less on hikes and hunts than other sledges. He was clever, lucky and straightforward.
The evil Maruko was jealous of Himish and did not like him. One day Himish went hunting and met Maruko and his relatives in a thicket. Himish heard the whistle of arrows, the crack of breaking branches, the barking of dogs and saw a young man in the clearing guarding the horses.
-Who are you hunting? - Himish asked him.
— A wild boar of unprecedented size appeared in this forest; they say he is from the land of monsters; They've been chasing him for two days. The boar has already ripped open the bellies of two hunters,” the young man guarding the horses answered Himish.
Soon the hunters gathered in the clearing to rest and refresh themselves with food. They were gloomy and dissatisfied - they spent so much time unsuccessfully chasing the boar!
Himish addressed them cordially:
- Good afternoon, brave sledges! Why are you hanging your heads?
“Hello, Himish!” Maruko answered reluctantly. “I would like to see how you would hold your head in our place, and, perhaps, after the meeting with the boar you would not have any head left on your shoulders.”
“Eh,” Himish answered good-naturedly, “maybe I can handle your terrible boar.”
His words struck a chord with Maruko, who quickly stood up and said:
- Come with us! We will drive him from one side, and you stand opposite, since you are so confident in your abilities.
The hunters went deep into the forest, and Khimish chose a place from where it would be convenient for him to shoot a wild boar when the sleds drove him out.
The treacherous Maruko was confident that Himish would not be able to cope with the boar. Alarmed by the noise, the boar descended from the forest highlands and found itself not far from Himish. The hunter shot an arrow at him. A huge boar fell to the ground so that everything in the forest began to crack. Himish rushed at him with a knife, grabbed him by the throat and plunged the knife into the boar's heart. The unlucky hunters arrived in time to the scene of the fight and looked enviously at Khimish, who dragged the dead silver boar into the clearing. And Khimish jumped on his horse and rode away, leaving his prey behind.
Maruko got angry: “We can’t walk on the same ground with him!” - and swore an oath to take revenge on Himish for disgracing him so much. Maruko decided to treacherously kill Himish.
One day he invited him to go on a hike.
Although Himish was a lone rider, he was kind and trusting and agreed to Maruko’s request, not suspecting any malicious intent.
Before leaving, Maruko and his hunters started a feast, and Himish, knowing that he needed to take more food for the journey, sent the young man to his wife to tell her to store everything she needed.
“Tell Himish: it will be ready soon,” the little gouache said to the messenger. Seeing that she was hesitating, Himish again sent the young man and again received the same answer. And for the third time the messenger went to hurry the little gouache, and she kept saying:
“I’ll finish now, everything will be ready now, let him be patient!”
Finally, Khimish himself went to his wife and, entering the house, said jokingly:
- Why are you taking so long to collect, my poor little fellow? We'll be too late.
Although the little gouache stood aside, by the fireplace, she heard her husband’s words. She gave him the supplies and silently went into her chamber.
And Khimish, together with other sledges, went on a hike.
Maruko and his henchmen, knowing how brave Himish was, were afraid to attack him openly and decided to treacherously kill him.
The riders spent many days and nights on the road and, having crossed the mountain range, descended into a wide gorge. Here they dismounted, hobbled their horses and began to rest.
In this gorge, according to rumors, foreigners often wandered.
The youngest of the hunters was guarding the horses and suddenly heard a menacing noise: a seven-headed monster was rushing down from the mountain with a roar. Along the way, it tore out and scattered centuries-old trees, moved and threw away rocks.
The hunters immediately jumped to their feet and drew their swords. When the monster tore one of them into pieces, Himish rushed with a sword at the giant and, after a desperate fight, cut off one of his heads. The hunters calmly watched the combat and waited for the death of Himish: where could he defeat such a monster?
But when Himish cut off the seventh head of Inyzha, Maruko became alarmed and exclaimed:
- Hey, perhaps he really will come out of the battle victorious! Don't miss this opportunity, let's hit him from behind!
So said the envious and treacherous Maruko and struck Himish from behind. Himish fell dead and, falling, looked at the killer.
Horror seized Maruko from this dying reproachful look. Overcoming fear, he grumbled:
“Go to hell, this Khimish, I don’t feel sorry for him, but I feel sorry for the fact that my sword became dull because of his bells.”
Maruko and his hunters went home, and the body of the brave Himish was pecked by black crows.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru